How do I get my PIN number?

New freshman and transfer: Will register during Quest orientation and should not have an active PIN number.

Continuing undergraduate students: In order to receive a PIN number, you will need to be advised. If you have a question about who your advisor is please contact the appropriate academic advising office.

Graduate students: Graduate students do not need a registration PIN.

Who’s my advisor?

If a student hasn’t requested a specific faculty member as an advisor, then they are assigned to either the advising coordinator of their college or the department chair of their major. Undergraduates should contact their college advising centers for further information and graduate students should contact the Graduate College.

What is a traditional course load?

Undergraduate students in good academic standing typically register for 15-16 credit hours each semester, while graduate student typically register for 9-14 credit hours.

How do I register for an independent study course?

To participate in an independent study course, students must have their proposal approved by the appropriate department chair/school director and the curriculum committee chair (if applicable) and submit the approved proposal to the registrar's office by the deadline for adding courses.

I’m a graduate student, how do I register for a directed study or thesis?

A graduate student wishing to register for a directed study or thesis must submit a written proposal for approval by the supervising professor, adviser, chair of the department, and graduate dean. This proposal should be submitted at least two weeks prior to registration. The registrar’s office must receive a copy of the approved proposal no later than the census date to ensure registration.

Can I audit a course?

If a student wishes to audit a course they must have the written permission of the class instructor and the instructor’s chairperson. The deadline for auditing a course is the semester census date and approvals will only be granted on a space available basis. Tuition and fees for auditing a course are the same as a regular credit course.

What do I do if it says there are holds on my registration?

If you have any unfulfilled obligations to the University (such as unpaid fees or fines, an overdue library book, missing transcripts, etc) you will not be allowed to register for classes. This is called a hold. You will be denied the opportunity to register for courses if your record has been blocked by any administrative office or unit. To clear the hold, you must personally contact the office that issued the block. When you have resolved the issue, the originating office will release your hold, and you will be cleared for registration. Holds can substantially delay your ability to register and obtain needed or desired courses, so we encourage students to get these taken care of before their allocated registration times. Holds can be viewed in the Student Information System in the MyRU Portal.

Is my registration guaranteed?

Students who registered and saved their course schedule correctly can feel confident that their registration is secure. However, if a student doesn’t complete the registration process correctly or neglects to pay their tuition on time, then their registration will most certainly be in jeopardy. Tuition, fees, room and board must be paid by the advertised deadline for each semester or the student’s registration may be cancelled. In addition, if a student managed to register for a course for which they don’t meet the prerequisite for or is otherwise ineligible to participate in (i.e., academic deficiencies or suspension), their registration can be altered or even cancelled.

I typed in my pin number, but it doesn't work.

Typically when that happens the pin number is being typed in incorrectly.

Please verify that you are typing in the pin number correctly by checking the PIN provided by your advisor.

If the problem persists contact the Registrar's Office.

We cannot register a student without proof the student has been advised. (i.e. Advising Check sheet or signed note from the advisor.)

If I am unable to get the courses that I need, what should I do?

See your advisor, department chair, or someone in your Advising Center. It could be that there are other options of which you are unaware.

I need to take more than 18 hours (14 hours for graduate students). What should I do?

Register for the 18 hours you are permitted during the first part of registration. Overload requests will be accepted only after all students have had an opportunity to register for a full schedule of classes. Please pick up a Permission to Overload form from our office which has to be approved/signed by the Dean of the College of your major. Approved forms need to then be submitted to our office and will be processed beginning two weeks after the first day of undergraduate registration for a given term.

Graduate Students requesting to take over 14 credit hours need a Permission for Overload form signed by Advisor, Department Chair/School Director, and Graduate College Dean and submitted to our office.

I always wait until the beginning of the semester to register. What will happen if I do this?

This has always been a very risky strategy that results in frustration and disappointment. While you can try to continue to use some combination of on-line schedule adjustment and the inefficient “run around and beg” approach at the beginning of the semester, class availability is likely to be extremely limited at that time. So, no matter how plaintive your appeal (“I’m a graduating senior, and I MUST have this course at 11:00...”), your appeals are likely to be denied. You will then be left with a partial schedule or no schedule, and we will not be able to help you. Register when you are assigned to do so, and let us help you resolve problems before web registration concludes each semester.

When should I pay tuition?

You must pay tuition, fees, room and board to the Student Accounts Office by the payment deadline.

If your payment is late, a late fee may be assessed and classes may be cancelled. If your registration takes place after the payment deadline you must pay the day you register for classes to avoid a late fee and possible cancellation of classes.

If I register on time but do not pay my bill by the established deadline and my classes are dropped, will I be able to recover them?

You almost certainly will not be able to recover your classes. Once classes are dropped, they are fair game for other students to add them.

To avoid having your classes dropped, check your financial aid information and the balance on your student account on the Student Information System often and before the tuition payment deadline. If you discover any problems, resolve them as soon as possible.

Obviously, if others (e.g., your parents) are making tuition and fee payments for you, remind them of all advertised deadlines.

Will I be able to graduate in four years?

Radford University has offered the same response to this question for many years. We have consistently told students and parents that, except for programs that by design are expected to take more than four years to complete, students can graduate in four years if they register for an average of 15 hours per semester; if they do not drop, withdraw from, or fail courses; or—if they do finish semesters with less than 15 hours—they attend summer school to make up their deficits.

If I have questions about this system or about my own schedule, whom should I contact?

Contact someone in your Advising Center. In most cases, it is easier to resolve problems in face-to-face encounters rather than over the phone or via email.

College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences: Russell 127

College of Business and Economics: COBE Building 244

College of Education and Human Development: Peters A-104

College of Science and Technology: Stuart 163

College of Visual and Performing Arts: Porterfield 243

Waldron College of Health and Human Services: Waldron 351

Pre-Major Advising Center: Walker 103

Graduate College: Buchanan House

Why does registration tell me I don't meet course restriction?

The restrictions can vary from course to course and can be viewed in the current catalog. Sometimes courses are restricted to individuals whose major falls within that department. To discern whether the course you are registering for is restricted to majors, view the information in the online schedule in the Student Information System in the MyRU Portal. You can also contact the department offering the course for more specific information.

What do I do if I can't find my question?

Email your question to registrar@radford.edu for an answer, and if enough people have the same question it might end up here.